Fears grow for safety of missing 18-year-old who vanished after a night out with friends in Kent
Ben Savage's distraught mum says her son's disappearance is "very out of character" as police scour CCTV to track his last known movements
THE distraught mum of a teenager who vanished after a night out says his disappearance is "very out of character" and has appealed for help finding her son.
Ben Savage, 18, was last seen at the Tap N Tin in Railway Street, Chatham, in the early hours of yesterday, but did not return home.
Ben's mum Tara Savage said the "family boy" was devoted to her, dad Martin and brother Luke, with his Facebook profile showing the 18-year-old holding his newborn baby niece Laila.
Family friend Keely-Ann McFarlane said: "Everybody's just hoping and praying that he will show his face."
The 19-year-old said she she wasn't out with Ben on the night he went missing but had been messaging him earlier that evening.
"That's the last I spoke to him," she added.
Police said they were reviewing CCTV footage to try and track Ben's movements after he left the bar at around 2.45am.
A friend wrote on Facebook: "He was pretty drunk last night, I'm really hoping he's alright, fingers crossed nothing bad has happened! Best of luck."
Another friend posted the last SnapChat message Ben, from Rochester, is believed to have sent.
Dozens of volunteers joined police in an overnight search for Ben, along with the Medway Coastguard team and Sheerness Inshore Lifeboat crew, reports .
A spokesman for the lifeboat crew said a three-man vessel was called out to Chatham just before 1.30am this morning.
According to his Facebook page, Ben was a pupil at The Holmesdale School in Snodland before going to study at MidKent College in Medway.
A Kent Police spokesman said: "Officers are concerned for the welfare of Ben Savage, 18, after he disappeared following an evening out.
"He was last seen at 2.45am on Tuesday 6 December in Railway Street, Chatham.
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"Ben is described as 18 years old, 5ft 10ins, with a medium build and short brown hair.
"He is believed to be wearing a black waist-length jacket with a zip on one arm, a grey t-shirt with a large white number on the front, dark blue skinny jeans and black trainers with white detail.
"Anyone who may have seen Ben or knows where he might be is urged to call Kent Police on 999."
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